OXFORD, Ohio -- The River States Conference is pleased to announce the selection of Indiana University Kokomo track and field athlete Sydney Duncan as the 2025-26 River States Conference Female Athlete of the Year. The 2025 RSC Female Field Athlete of the Year earns the award as the top female athlete in the entire conference, which includes nine RSC championship sports for women.
The Athlete of the Year is selected via a vote of conference athletic directors, and comes from a pool of all Player of the Year recipients.
Duncan is just the second athlete since 2010 to win Athlete of the Year honors in back-to-back years. The last back-to-back winner was Point Park's Anna Shields, a middle distance runner that won the award in three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019. She is the lone Cougar to win the RSC's top athletic honor since IUK joined the conference prior to the 2013-14 school year.
The Anderson, Indiana native continued to add to her extensive legacy, adding five more All-American honors and four more national championships to her resume. She started with a national title in the shot put at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, her third straight shot put national title between the NAIA's indoor and outdoor championships. She added a fifth place finish in the weight throw to earn All-America recognition.
Duncan then put on one of the all-time great performances in NAIA history at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May. Duncan won her fourth, fifth, and sixth national championships by sweeping the shot put, discus, and hammer throw. Her effort made her just the second athlete in the history of the Association to win the "Triple Crown". The NAIA honored her as the Meet MVP for her efforts.
Across the championship meet, Duncan totaled 30 team points for the Cougars, the maximum possible amount from her three events, while also leading IU Kokomo to the best national finish in program history. Her performance capped off a historic 2026 campaign that also included River States Conference championships in all three throwing events, multiple national qualifying marks, and recognition as the top female thrower in the NAIA throughout the season. The RSC Indoor and Outdoor RSC Field Athlete of the Year ranked 14th in the nation in indoor shot put and 27th in the nation in outdoor shot put for all collegiate levels.
RSC/KIAC FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR (SINCE: 2009-10)
2009-10 -- Valerie Kamuf, Brescia (Ky.) -- Women's Soccer
2010-11 -- Brittany Bird, Brescia (Ky.) -- Women's Basketball
2011-12 -- Ariel Nickell, Alice Lloyd (Ky.) -- Women's Basketball
2012-13 -- Lauren Crump, IU East -- Volleyball
2013-14 -- Ariel Nickell, Alice Lloyd (Ky.) -- Women's Basketball
2014-15 -- Brianna Thomas, Rio Grande (Ohio) -- Women's Basketball
2015-16 -- Julie Whitfill, Brescia (Ky.) -- Women's Basketball
2016-17 -- Anna Shields, Point Park (Pa.) -- Track & Field/Cross Country
2017-18 -- Anna Shields, Point Park (Pa.) -- Track & Field/Cross Country
2018-19 -- Anna Shields, Point Park (Pa.) -- Track & Field/Cross Country
2019-20 -- Alyssa Campbell, Point Park (Pa.) -- Track & Field/Cross Country
2020-21 -- Olivia Miller, Carlow (Pa.) -- Track & Field/Cross Country
2021-22 -- Alyssa Campbell, Point Park (Pa.) -- Track & Field/Cross Country
2022-23 -- Ella Skeens, Rio Grande (Ohio) -- Women's Basketball
2023-24 -- Autumn Oehlstrom, IU Southeast -- Softball
2024-25 -- Sydney Duncan, IU Kokomo -- Track & Field
2025-26 -- Sydney Duncan, IU Kokomo -- Track & Field